NASA Perseverance captures Earth disappearing behind Mars moon Phobos

On July 2 2026 (sol 1907 of the mission), NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars recorded a seven‑image sequence showing Earth as a tiny bright dot moving across the Martian sky and being occulted by Phobos, the larger of Mars’ two moons. The Mastcam‑Z camera captured the event from the rim of Jezero Crater at about local sunset, producing the first ever observation of Earth vanishing behind another celestial body from the surface of another planet.

The composite, released by NASA, includes annotated figures that detail the timing, the motion of Phobos and Earth, and the processed black background that enhances contrast. Scientists note that such occultations help refine measurements of Phobos’ orbit, which is gradually spiraling toward Mars. The observation also provides a unique “self‑portrait” of Earth from an extraterrestrial viewpoint.

Comments from Mastcam‑Z deputy principal investigator Justin Maki and co‑investigator Mark Lemmon highlight the rarity of the alignment and the planning required to capture it. The images have been made publicly available through NASA’s planetary photography portal.